What happens when an engineer becomes one of the world’s leading transformational marketers and investors? In this episode of Unmasked: The CEO Files, Alan McLaren sits down with transformational marketer, investor, author, and board-level advisor Dave Sutton for an unfiltered conversation on the future of marketing, AI, investing, leadership, and the growing trust gap in business. From why marketing should be treated like a measurable business investment to how AI is collapsing the divide between creativity and analytics, Dave shares practical lessons from 35+ years helping companies grow, adapt, and lead through disruption. In this episode, we explore: ➡️ Why marketing is both science and storytelling and how data drives better decisions ➡️ How AI is changing marketing, business operations, and the future of work ➡️ What investors look for in AI companies and how businesses build defensible value ➡️ Why leadership today is really about human capital, trust, and developing people ➡️ The growing trust crisis in business, media, technology, and why critical thinking matters more than ever Dave also shares insights from his leadership journey through YPO, why trust is becoming one of the most valuable currencies in business, and how leaders can better understand how they “land” in the room. Whether you're a CEO, founder, marketer, investor, entrepreneur, or leadership enthusiast, this episode offers practical insight into navigating growth, uncertainty, innovation, and influence in a rapidly changing world. 👇 What’s your take? Will AI amplify human talent or replace it?
UNMASKED: The CEO Files. The mic is on. The masks are off. UNMASKED: The CEO Files explores the leadership journeys you don’t see on LinkedIn. The turning points, the real pivots, the moments that shaped who these leaders became beneath the title. We sit with executives as they talk candidly about building trust at scale, shaping culture, and staying visible without selling out who they are. Why it matters: In a world of curated content and algorithm-chasing brands, UNMASKED offers something rare: a human signal that resonates. These are the stories behind the success. The decisions made in uncertainty. The moments that rewired how a leader shows up. Check out The Room Scan, it's a 5-minute read of the moment autopilot took over for CEOs and Founders who want to understand how visible and trusted their leadership signal really is: https://quiz.strataoriginals.com 🔗 Connect with Strata Originals Website: www.strataoriginals.com LinkedIn: Strata Originals Instagram: @strataoriginals